Sir John Paston to Dame Margery Paston

LETTER XI.

To Dame Margery
      Paston at Oxenhed

MASTRES Margery J recomand me to yow And I prey yow
Jn all hast possybyl to send me by the next swer mes-
senger that ye can gete a large playster of yo^r flose un-
guentoru˜ for Kynges Attorney James Hobart for all hys
dysease is but an Ache in hys knee he is the man that
brought yow and me togedyrs And I had lever then xl li ye
koud w^t yo^r playster depart hym And hys peyne but when
ye send me the playster ye must send me wryghty˜g hough
it shold be leyd to and takyn fro hys knee And hough longe
it shold Abyd on hys kne unremeyvd And hough longe the
playster wyll laste good And whethyr he must lape eny
more clothys aboute the playster to kepe it warme or nought
And god be w^t yow

                                                                       Yo^r JOHN PASTON.

   8¾ by 6.

             Paper Mark,
           Hand with two
         Fingers doubled.
          Pl. xxxiii. No. 4.

     In this letter we are introduced to Lady Paston in her domestic character,
and may conclude that her Flower of Ointments was in high repute, when we
find it applied for to cure the knee of the Attorney General.

     Her husband likewise pays her an affectionate compliment, when he mani-
fests his regard for his friend, as arising from his having first brought him and
his lady together, and therefore particularly wishing that her applications might
now relieve him.

     James Hobart was appointed Attorney General in 1486, and so continued
during his life; he was a man of great learning and wisdom, and died full of
riches and honour in 1509-10. He was the ancestor of the present Earl of
Buckinghamshire.

     This letter has no date, but it must have been written between 2 and 10 of
H. VII. when Lady Paston died.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 15.

LETTER XI.

To Dame Margaret Paston, at Oxnead.

MISTRESS Margery, I recommend me to you, and I pray
you in all haste possible to send me, by the next sure mes-
senger that ye can get, a large plaster of your Flos Unguen-
torum for the King’s Attorney James Hobart; for all his
disease is but an ache in his knee; he is the man that
brought you and me together, and I had lever [rather] than
40l. ye could with your plaster depart [separate] him and
his pain. But when ye send me the plaster, ye must send
me writing, how it should be laid to and taken from his
knee; and how long it should abide on his knee unremoved;
and how long the plaster will last good; and whether he
must lap any more cloths about the plaster to keep it warm
or not; and God be with you.

                                                                  Your JOHN PASTON.

       Written between
        1487 and 1495.
        3?10 H. vii.

  In this letter we are introduced to Lady Paston in her domestic character,
and may conclude that her Flower of Ointments was in high repute, when we
find it applied for to cure the knee of the Attorney General.

     Her husband likewise pays her an affectionate compliment, when he mani-
fests his regard for his friend, as arising from his having first brought him and
his lady together, and therefore particularly wishing that her applications might
now relieve him.

     James Hobart was appointed Attorney General in 1486, and so continued
during his life; he was a man of great learning and wisdom, and died full of
riches and honour in 1509-10. He was the ancestor of the present Earl of
Buckinghamshire.

     This letter has no date, but it must have been written between 2 and 10 of
H. VII. when Lady Paston died.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 15.

1019

SIR JOHN PASTON TO DAME MARGERY PASTON²

To Dame Margery Paston, at Oxenhed.

    MASTRESS MARGERY, I recomand me to yow. And
        I prey yow in all hast possybyll to send me, by the
       next swer messenger that ye can gete, a large playster
of your flose ungwentorum for Kynges Attorney, Jamys Hobart,
for all hys dysease is but an ache in hys knee. He is the man
that brought yow and me togedyrs, and I had lever then xlli.
ye koud with your playster depart hym and hys peyne. But
when ye send me the playster, ye must send me wryghtyng
hough it shold be leyd to and takyn fro hys knee, and hough
longe it shold abyd on hys kne unremevyd, and hough longe
the playster wyll laste good, and whethyr he must lape eny
more clothys aboute the playster to kepe it warme or nought.
And God be with yow.

                                                 Your,                       JOHN PASTON.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] James Hobart was the King’s Attorney-General
from 1486 to 1509, and Dame Margery Paston died in 1495. There is nothing to
fix the date of this letter more precisely.

1486-
95